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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. net — for catching
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kick — in football
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in biology
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. suit — in cards
  16. plane — a tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. scale — size or range
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com